Kiowa County Emergency Services Manager Chris Sorensen is interviewed during a press conference Thursday afternoon at the Eads, Colorado School. Sorensen answered questions related to the van vs. semi collision Thursday morning on Hwy 287 near Kit Carson. One adult and five children died in the accident. All of the children were students at Eads, where there are about 170 students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. (Mary Breslin)
A crash in which a passenger van collided with the rear of an empty livestock trailer at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday on U.S. Highway 287 about two miles south of Kit Carson, has left six people dead, according to Chris Sorensen Kiowa County emergency services manager.
Sorensen said the van was carrying 12 children, ranging in age from four years to 17 years and one adult, who was driving the vehicle. The driver and five of the children suffered fatal injuries.
A total of 10 patients were transported to Keefe Memorial Hospital in Cheyenne Wells. Several patients were flown out to front range hospitals. The driver of the semi also received serious injuries and after initial treatment at Weisbrod Memorial Hospital in Eads, was transported to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs.
Sorensen said the accident occurred just north of the area where crews were working on a crack sealing project and where crews were flagging traffic. Sorensen said it is not known at this time what the speed of the van was in relation to the reduced speed limit along that section of the highway. It is also not clear at this time, he said, if the livestock trailer was completely stopped when it was hit by the passenger van.
Eads Superintendent Glenn Smith said all five of the children who died were students at Eads, crossing all grade levels. The oldest victim, aged 17, was an Eads High School student.?
The driver of the Dodge Ram was identified as 57-year-old Howard Mitchell of Kit Carson. Mitchell was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The following passengers in the van died as a result of the crash and were not wearing a seatbelt.
11-year-old Austyn Atkinson of Kit Carson
4-Year-old Tony Mitchell of Kit Carson
10-year-old Tayla Mitchell of Kit Carson
13-year-old Andrew Dawson of Kit Carson
17-year-old Jeremy Franks of Kit Carson.
The following passengers in the van sustained injuries and tehy were not wearing a seatbelt:
13-year-old Brandon Rollis of Kit Carson, who was transported to Children's Hospital in Denver
16-year-old Daniel Ortega of Kit Carson, who was trasnsported to Swedish Hospital in Denver
15-year-old Robert Miller of Kit Carson, who was transported to Swedish Hospital in Denver
18-year-old TJ Mitchell of Kit Carson, who was transported to Swedish Hospital in Denver
17-year-old Scott Fua of Kit Carson, who was transported to Swedish Hospital in Denver.
14-year-old William Palmer of Kit Carson was transported to Keefe Memorial Hospital in Cheyenne Wells with minor injuries. He was wearing his seatbelt.
3-year-old Beau McMillen of Eads was transported to Children's Hospital in Denver and had been in a child safety seat.
The driver of the 2001 Peterbilt was identified as 26-year-old Jared Kauffman of Cheyenne, Wyo. He was transported to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs and was released with minor injuries.
Smith said counselors were brought in immediately to help the children understand and work through the devastating loss of the their fellow students.
Sorensen said it was a tough day for the small community. "It will take some time for everyone to fully understand what has happened," he said, adding that the tragedy will have an impact for many years to come.
Sorensen said that the Colorado State Patrol accident reconstruction team was still working to understand how and why the accident happened. It does not appear, he said, that alcohol was involved, but there are still many questions to be answered. It is unclear at this time whether there are any eyewitnesses to the accident who might help to explain what happened.
The emergency services manager praised the first responders for their performance at the scene. "We practice for these things," he said, "and unfortunately today we had to use those skills."
This story will be updated as more details become available.
Source: http://www.lamarledger.com/ci_19104441?source=rss_viewed
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